Potato-digger.



Paten ted Aug. I, 1899.

E. PUTTKA MMER.

POTATO BIGGER.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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UNITED Y ST T S PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL PUTTKAMMER, OF MACHIPONGO, VIRGINIA.

POTATO-DIGG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,920, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed October 27, 1898. Serial No. 694,740. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it 12mg concern/.

Be it known that I, EMIL PUTTKAMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Machipongo, in the county of Northampton and State of Virginia, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers;'

and I do declare thcffollowing to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to potato-diggers, and

particularly to the class of endless-carrier po-- tato-diggers, and has for its object to provide an improved machine of this character which will combine simplicity of construction, durability, economy, and efficiency in operation.

To these ends and advantages the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference denote like parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. I Fig. 4 is a "detail perspective view of the digger teeth or fork, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary iew of a portion of one of the" toothed'bars of the elevator-apron.

The machine is provided with a main supporting-frame consisting of the parallel side bars 1 and 2, connected together at their rear ends by a cross-bar 3 and converging at their forward ends and bolted to a singleforwardly-f extending bar 4. The said main frame is supported centrally by an axle 5, journaled in the ground-wheels 6 and6', the forwardly-extending bar at resting loosely between the two upwardly-projecting ears or lugs 7, connected to a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Meshing with the gear-wheel 12 is a smaller gear-wheel 14., mounted on the end of the forward longitudinally-grooved drive-roller 15 of an elevator mechanism comprising the endless vapron 16, to the inner side of which are attached at regular intervals transverse slats 17, being half-round in cross-section, the said slats engaging the longitudinal grooves 15' of the drive-roller 15, thus insuring a positive movement of the apron l6 and preventing any tendency of said apron to slip.

'The'upper and rear end of the elevatorapron 16 runs over and is supported by an idle-roller 17, the reduced ends 18 of which extend through elongated slots 10 in the oblique bars of anauxiliary frame 20, mounted upon the rear end of the'main supportingframe, and are journaled in eyes or rings 21 21, connected to the ends of screW-threaded rods 22 22, which extend through castings 23 23, rigidly connected to the upper ends of the auxiliary frame 20, and are provided with thumb-nuts 24 24, thus providing means for tightening or loosening the said endless carrier 16.

Betweenthe front truck and the lower drive-roller 15 are supported the digger teeth or fork 25, which consists of a series of bars beveled at each end, fastened together mid-. jway of their length and on their lowersides by a cross-bar26, also being provided midway between their central points and their upper ends with a transverse rod 27, which The said fork is further provided yoke 28 being attached'toeach end of the cross-bar 26 andthe yoke 29 to each end of the transverse rod 27, as shown. Each of said supporting-yokes has rigidly attached thereto ing in such close proximity to the lower driveroller would strike the same upon raising the lower end of the fork {but by raising the fork at both ends this difficulty is overcome.

passes directly through each tine or tooth of r the fork. with two supporting-yokes 28 and 29, the

Attached to theouter surface of the end-7 less elevator-apron 16 are regularly-disposed transverse parallel bars 31, each of which is provided with a series of curved teeth 32, arranged in such order upon the bars 31 and of such thickness that as each bar and its series of teeth pass by and through the upper ends of the digger-fork the space between each fork-tooth is entirely filled as far down as the transversely-extendin g rod 27 ,as shown, thereby lifting all potatoes that may have been pushed to the upper end of the diggerfork and carrying them on and up until disposed of at the turning-point on the upper rollerof the elevator.

It will here be noticed that the difference in size of the gear-wheel 12 and the gearwheel 14 of the drive-roller will cause a rapid movement of the drive-roller and its elevator connection, thereby preventing too many potatoes from accumulating at the top of the digger-fork and the consequent heavy load that would be imposed upon each series of elevator-teeth as they passed between the fork-teeth.

As each load of potatoes reaches the turningpoint at the top of the elevator it is dumped into" a rearwardly-slanting hopper 33, comprising upper and lower sections 34 and 35, extending across the end of the machine and supported at the top edge near the machine by means of a transverse rod 36, passing through an eye 37 insaid top edge of the upper frame, said rod being fastened ateach end to'the auxiliary frame 20. The hopperframe is further supported at the lower outside edge by means of a right-angular-shaped rod 38, the inner end of which is rigidly fastened' to the rear cross-bar 3 of the main frame,and provided on its outer end with an upturned eye engaging a downwardly-projecting eye on the lower frame of the hopper, as shown, thus-suspendin g the hopper and allowing the same to be rocked, which motion is impartedto it through'the medium of a crankshaft 39 ,supported in hangers along one side of the main frame and provided at one end with a, spur gear-wheel 40, which meshes with the laterally-projecting teeth of the large gearwheel'1'2, and at the other end with the crank- 3.];l11f41, having bearing in an eye 42, fastened on the bottom andto one side of the hopperframe, thus imparting the rocking motion to said'hopper when the machine moves.

The-upper and lower sections 34: and 35 of.

thehopper 33'consist of a rectangular threesidfed' frame, each having a slatted or openwork-bottom43 and 44, consisting of the longitudinally-extending rods, fastened at one end tojthe side of the hopper-and the other or rear end resting upon cross-strips 45'and 46. The bottom 43 of the upper section 34 extends some distance beyond that of the lower section, and 'the'rods forming said bottom are about twice. the distance apart as the lower rods, thus allowing the smaller potatoes to drop through into the lower hopper-section andbe discharged in a suitable receptacle,

while the larger potatoes are carried beyond and dropped in another receptacle, neither of which is shown. Any dirt remaining with the potatoes is screened off by means-of the rocking motion of the hoppers.

Mountedin the forward portion of the machine to the rear of the front truck is a reciprocating cutter-bar 47, of any approved construction, supported and regulated by meansof a screw-threaded rod 48, working through a cross-bar 4:9, and having an operating-wheel at the upper end in a similar manner to the digger-fork adjusting-rods, the object of said cutter-bar being to cut and clear away the vines. Thereciprocating motion is imparted to the cutter-bar through'a shaft 50, mounted in hangers along the side of the main frame opposite the side having the shaft 39, one end of said shaft 50 having connected thereto a pinion 51, meshing with the laterally-extendin g teeth ofthe gear-wheel 13, and the other end having a crank-wheel-52, having the pin 53, to which is connected thelink 54, the other end of said link being connected with the cutter-bar.

The front truck is attached to the main frame of the machine by chains 55, connected to each leg of the truck-yoke andto the'parallel sides of the main frame, a tongue 56 bein g attached to the truck, by means of which the machine is drawn along.

Having throughout the specification alluded to the operation of the machine, a further description thereof is notdeemed necessary;

Upright parallel side boards-57 57 are fastened on each side of the endless carrier to the auxiliary frame, thus preventing any tendency of the potatoes to roll out at the side of the elevator.

Minor changes may be'made in the arrangement and construction of my machine without departing from the spirit andintentions. .of my invention, andto such changes Iwish' to reserve exclusive right.

Having thus described my invention,wh'at I claim'as new, and desire tosec'u' re by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1'. Ina potato-digger, the combinationwith' the main frame, a rake or digger-.bars sup ported at the forward end of said frame, a yoke to which the rake is pivoted, an adjusting-screw secured to said yoke, asecond'yoke in advance of the first yoke, a screw for vertically adjusting thesecond yoke, an endless toothed elevator coac-tin g with saiddiggerbars or rake to elevate the potatoes therefrom, and a separator or hopper located at' the rear end of the machine for receiving and assorting'the potatoes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a potato-digger, the com'binationwith the main frame, a rake or digger-bars supported at the forward end of i said frame; a

yoke to which the rake is pivoted, a'niadju'sting-screw secured to said yoke, a second yoke' in advance of the first yoke, a screwfor vertically adjusting the secondyoke, an endless toothed elevator coacting with said diggerbars or rake to elevate the potatoes therefrom, and a separator or hopper located at the rear end of the machine for receiving and asserting the potatoes, and cutting mechanism located in advance of the digger-bars or rake, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a potato-digger, the combination with r the main snpportingframe, of a rake or digger-bars supported at the forward end of said frame, a yoke to which the rake is pivoted,

an adjusting-screw secured to said yoke, a second yoke in advance of the first yoke, and a screw for Vertically adjusting the second 15 yoke, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL PUTTKAMMER.

Witnesses O. M. LANKFORD, G. WALTER MAPP. 

